Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Guys, I wanted to update my habitat thread with some pictures of the buck I got yesterday. I had hoped to get much better pics today, but it has poured the rain and not the best lighting or weather. I have him to the processor now and the head in my freezer.
Thanks so much everyone who replied in the live from the stand thread. It feels good to get the one I was after. Here is the story:
Up until yesterday I had been hunting with my new muzzleloader, but the forecast was for rain all day long, so I felt it might be safer to take the 308 Tikka. Also, because of the heavy rain forecast, I thought the box blind would be a good dry choice.
The morning was kind of uneventful. I saw two young bucks chasing does though the NWSGs, and a decent 8 point came out in one of my plots at around 10:15 AM. I saw other does moving around some, and the rain just kept coming. I generally come out midday and take a break, but with the rain pouring down, I decided to just put in the day. I would have soaked everything walking back and forth to the truck. I caught a nap from about 11:30 to 1:30 and started watching again.
Sometime around 3:00 I got a text from my son, who told me that he was on the way to join me for the evening and help me watch. By that time the rain had become a light mist. We were both glassing the fields, and sometime about an hour before dark, I glanced down toward the low food plot and saw a deer walking the edge broadside to me about 110 yards away. The tops of the tall NWSGs were partially hiding the deer, but I could see it was the one I was after. I could get the scope on him easy, but was afraid to pull the trigger, because I would be shooting through quite a bit of grass. You never know what that could do to a bullet or trajectory path, so I let him keep walking.
I just kept the crosshairs on his chest the best I could as he walked along, and finally he walked past a spot where a patch of big bluestem had partially fallen down and I had about a 2 foot clear opening to get the shot off as he moved through. When the bullet hit, he spun just a little and ran forward and stopped for a few seconds. Once again, the grass was blocking a follow up shot. Then he turned and just disappeared into the field. We were both watching him and could see the tops of the antlers bounce above the grass occasionally. Then we just couldn't see anything.
I told my son to keep watching from the blind while I walked the grass. I went through 2 passes and found nothing. Finally my son joined me, and on the next pass he found the deer right at the point that we thought he may have fallen. On the first two passes I had probably walked within 10 feet of him each time, but they are so hard to see in a grass jungle like we have.
The 150 grain Hornady SST did an incredible job. The lungs were blown completely out, and the exit hole was massive. I don't know how he did it, but even with a hit like that the deer probably ran 65 yards.
Needless to say, I am so very happy. I give God the honor and praise for everything!
Thanks so much everyone who replied in the live from the stand thread. It feels good to get the one I was after. Here is the story:
Up until yesterday I had been hunting with my new muzzleloader, but the forecast was for rain all day long, so I felt it might be safer to take the 308 Tikka. Also, because of the heavy rain forecast, I thought the box blind would be a good dry choice.
The morning was kind of uneventful. I saw two young bucks chasing does though the NWSGs, and a decent 8 point came out in one of my plots at around 10:15 AM. I saw other does moving around some, and the rain just kept coming. I generally come out midday and take a break, but with the rain pouring down, I decided to just put in the day. I would have soaked everything walking back and forth to the truck. I caught a nap from about 11:30 to 1:30 and started watching again.
Sometime around 3:00 I got a text from my son, who told me that he was on the way to join me for the evening and help me watch. By that time the rain had become a light mist. We were both glassing the fields, and sometime about an hour before dark, I glanced down toward the low food plot and saw a deer walking the edge broadside to me about 110 yards away. The tops of the tall NWSGs were partially hiding the deer, but I could see it was the one I was after. I could get the scope on him easy, but was afraid to pull the trigger, because I would be shooting through quite a bit of grass. You never know what that could do to a bullet or trajectory path, so I let him keep walking.
I just kept the crosshairs on his chest the best I could as he walked along, and finally he walked past a spot where a patch of big bluestem had partially fallen down and I had about a 2 foot clear opening to get the shot off as he moved through. When the bullet hit, he spun just a little and ran forward and stopped for a few seconds. Once again, the grass was blocking a follow up shot. Then he turned and just disappeared into the field. We were both watching him and could see the tops of the antlers bounce above the grass occasionally. Then we just couldn't see anything.
I told my son to keep watching from the blind while I walked the grass. I went through 2 passes and found nothing. Finally my son joined me, and on the next pass he found the deer right at the point that we thought he may have fallen. On the first two passes I had probably walked within 10 feet of him each time, but they are so hard to see in a grass jungle like we have.
The 150 grain Hornady SST did an incredible job. The lungs were blown completely out, and the exit hole was massive. I don't know how he did it, but even with a hit like that the deer probably ran 65 yards.
Needless to say, I am so very happy. I give God the honor and praise for everything!
